I was born and raised in Prague, Czechoslovakia, from where I journeyed to the United States for college education. I graduated with B.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Boston, MA, USA) in 2000. Yoga found me soon after graduation: in the meeting room at the engineering firm I worked at. For one hour a week, this room transformed to a sanctuary for the body, mind and spirit.
My first yoga teacher, Angelena Craig, was trained at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health (Stockbridge, MA, USA) where I have had the privilege to take retreats and study myself. Kripalu teachings laid the foundation for my practice and guided me as I took the first steps towards embodiment of yogic philosophy off the mat.
In my professional life as an engineer, I circled from industry back to the academic environment to design and teach hands-on bioengineering courses. While I did not realize it at the time, my heart awoke then to my expression as a teacher.
In 2010, I moved to Iceland where I reside today. Professionally, I continued teaching engineering students at Reykjavík University. My personal yoga path led me to Auður Bjarnadóttir, who took me deeper into the practice of chanting and introduced me to yoga nidra, and – when I became pregnant – prenatal yoga.
Pregnancy, early motherhood, and longterm unknown exposure to mold eventually brought me to a place of deep exhaustion, and I spent several years in physical recovery and soul searching. My practice quieted to restorative and yin yoga and somatic meditation. I self-studied nutrition, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
As my body regained strength, I began – like a seed – to emerge from this winter period of stillness. I sensed an inner stirring: to share the practice of yoga and the other healing modalities that supported me along my own journey with others. I trained in Daoist Flow with Mimi Kuo-Deemer and Jean Hall, exploring somatics, Qigong, vinyasa, and yogic, Buddhist and Daoist philosophies. I graduated in 2022 with a 230-hour yoga teacher certification (accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals UK and Yoga Alliance USA).
From this baseline, I have continued my studies, diving particularly deeper into the practice and philosophy of Qigong. I explored further the Chinese Five Elements, then took a deep dive into experiential study of the fundamental states of energy that exist within our own selves and within the universe: Wuji (the formless), Taiji (the great polarity), and Wuxing (the five elements or phases). In early 2024, I certified as a Long White Cloud Qigong instructor, completing a 200-hour training in Elemental Alchemy.
I offer a range of in-person and online classes and courses including Qigong (active and/or meditative), Daoist Flow, restorative yoga, and sharing circles. I work with both groups and private clients. I am inspired by and continue to study with Mimi Kuo-Deemer, John Munro of Long White Cloud Qigong, Kenneth Cohen, Judith Lasater, Jean Hall, Aki Omori, and Donna Farhi.
Degrees and Certifications:
2024 “Elemental Alchemy Qigong” 200-Hour Qigong Instructor Training, Long White Cloud Qigong (New Zealand)
2022 “Qigong and the Chinese Five Elements” 5-day 30-hour training with Mimi Kuo-Deemer
2022 Daoist Flow 230-Hour Yoga Teacher Training, Triyoga (London, UK) (accredited by Yoga Alliance Professionals UK and Yoga Alliance USA)
2022 First Aid – 4 hours, Icelandic Red Cross (Reykjavík, Iceland)
2000 Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA, USA)
2000 Bachelor of Science in Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA, USA), Minors: Biomedical Engineering, Theatre Arts
Publications and talks on the subject of teaching and learning:
“Bringing Reflective Writing to the Engineering Classroom”, Kyas M., Foley J. T., Foley M., Proceedings of the 19th International CDIO Conference, Trondheim, Norway, June 26-29, 2023, pg. 502-511.
“Embracing Failure as an Integral Aspect of Engineering Education”, Foley M., Foley J. T., Kyas M., Proceedings of the 18th International CDIO Conference, Reykjavík, Iceland, June 13-15, 2022, pg. 1009-1020.